Former Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz ordered Blues Mondays in September 2008, saying that "part of [the Air Force's] image, culture and professionalism is instilled in our blues." (Air Force)

Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh has decided not to renew the servicewide requirement that airmen wear their dress blue uniforms on Monday, sources confirm.

Accordingly, both Air Force Space Command and Air Force Special Operations Command have ended Blues Mondays. Other major commands, when contacted by Air Force Times, had not yet heard of the change. But it will be up to commanders of each major command to decide whether to continue or rescind the policy.

"Post-9/11, we've moved away from our blue uniforms almost altogether and have transformed into an Air Force that wears our utility uniform on a daily basis," Schwartz said in a memo. "We all agreed that part of our image, culture and professionalism is instilled in our blues."

That was a reversal of his predecessor's policy. Gen. T. Michael Moseley, who became chief of staff in late 2005, believed airmen should dress like they fight so he ordered them to wear camouflage uniforms as part of his effort to instill "a war-fighting ethos" in the Air Force Culture.

Schwartz retired in August, when Welsh became the service's top officer.